Police fire tranquilizer guns through window to stop a pit bull fight that left one animal dead and two people with minor injuries

A local woman was bitten by a pit bull after attempting to break up a fight Monday between two pit bulls she had been watching for a friend, said Blackman-Leoni Township Department of Public Safety Deputy Director Jon Johnston.

He said the dog also bit the woman's 15-year-old daughter. Both were treated for minor injuries at Allegiance Health.

Jessica Moore, who was watching the dogs, said doctors inserted rods in her pinky and ring fingers to treat the bite. She said her daughter had a "small puncture wound on her hand."

Moore said she was watching the dogs for her incarcerated friend.

She said she kept the dogs apart because they were were not often socialized with each other, and one of the dogs was much larger than the other.

But, Moore said the larger dog forced its way into the smaller dog's enclosure and began to attack it.

Moore said the dog bit her and her daughter when they tried to guide the fighting dogs away from Moore's 7-year-old son.

She said all three fled the house and called police, who promptly requested a Jackson County Animal Control Unit for assistance.

Johnston said animal control officers were apprehensive about entering the house and instead shot the larger dog through the kitchen window with a tranquilizer gun.

Officers only needed to sedate the larger dog because the smaller one was too severely injured to resist officers, said Moore.

She said both dogs were taken to the Animal Shelter and euthanized.

"I just want to put this behind me," said Moore. "And I want everyone to know that these were not mean or crazy dogs. These were not vicious dogs. These dogs were loved."